MindBodySoul Mental Health & Family Practice (1)

1. MindBodySoul Mental Health & Family Practice +1 470-746-3142 Tele psychiatric How to Select a Psychiatrist: A Bipolar Patient's Point-Of-View Have you been feeling down for more than a couple of weeks, unable to rise above malaise or hopelessness, or have you lost interest in things you usually enjoy? Have you been feeling extraordinarily anxious? Are you having trouble coping with ordinary living? Or do you feel an essential personality change? Have you experienced disruptions in eating or sleeping? Or have you or others noticed your rapid speech, spending too much or all of your money, or staying up all night for nights on end? Do you suffer irrational fears? Do you feel very angry, hostile, prone to violence? Have you ever considered committing suicide? Are you mired in either alcohol or drug abuse? Well, it may be time to seek out professional help to assure yourself of proper health, and to avoid continuing mood or other mental disorders. The truth is, there is nothing to hold you back except for unfounded fear or the chimera of stigma imposed upon you by those who are ignorant, judgmental and fearful. But you seek relief, right? Enter the psychiatrist. How do you go about finding the right one for you? What are the important criteria for vetting one who will get the right results for you? Before we look at those criteria, let's take a quick look at Psychiatry. It is the most difficult of the medical professions for a number of reasons. The chief reason is the sheer number of disorders related to the human brain and the continua and quicksilver nature of each disorder's presentations, combinations and intensities. It is not as simple as locating a brain tumor using imaging devices. It is biochemical sleuthing through brain chemistries that control mental disorders and human behaviors when no direct physical tests are available. Analysis of your behavior is the doctor's chief diagnostic tool. Often there are multiple combinations of these brain chemistries that produce either single or multiple disorders in a patient. The psychiatrist is highly trained in both the behavioral analysis of mental disorders, the administration of myriad psychotropic drugs in the marketplace, and "experimenting" with them to concoct the needed psychotropic "cocktail" for each patient, as patients' responses to them are so varied. Incredible side effects of these medications-many deadly or permanently injurious-can further complicate proper treatment. Thus one begins to realize the difficulty faced by psychiatrists in diagnosing each patient's disorder(s) and sculpting proper treatments for him or her. Psychiatrists come in different flavors. Many specialize in treating certain age groups, such as youth or geriatric demographics. Some provide only pharmaceutical treatment of disorders. Others may include psychotherapy in addition to drug therapy and a few may focus on either psychoanalysis or electro-convulsive-therapy (ECT). Other specializations include substance abuse/addiction disorders, sexual disorders or mood disorders (anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression). Armed with this foreknowledge we can now delve into the tasks of locating and evaluating the right psychiatrist for either you or one who is close to you. Three ways to locate a psychiatrist are through

2. referrals, printed and online resources, and advertisements. They follow in descending order of quality, beginning with individual and corporate sources: Individual ● Family (word-of-mouth) ● Friends (word-of-mouth) ● Patients (word-of-mouth) ● Psychologists/Therapists ● Primary Care Physicians/Nurses ● Pastors (less so with evangelicals) ● Rabbis Corporate ● Mental or General Hospital Psychiatric Nurse "Who would you recommend?" ● Public Health Facility Nurse or Caseworker ● University/School Health Center Psychiatric Department Nurse ● Human Resources Employee Assistance Program ● Insurance Company Approved Providers ● United Way Information & Referral (I&R) Services Print and Online ● Yellow Pages (look for specialties and contact information, not necessarily huge ads) ● Magazines (e.g., Psychology Today) ● Freeway Billboard (Yep! I've actually seen one!) ● Online websites, for example: ○ healthgrades.com/psychiatry-directory (click: state > doctor > ratings) ○ webmd.com/physician-finder (click: "find a physican" > zip code > psychiatrist > image.submit > find a doctor > enter captcha image > submit > view profile and phone Okay, now that you have found one or more docs with the desired specialty and an office located somewhere within your time zone, it's time to create three lists: one to ask of yourself, one to ask of doctor's staff, and one to ask your psychiatric candidate. Here's yours: ● All of your daily medications, current & past (name, mg, daily dosing) ● Physical ailments, diseases you are being treated for ● Your symptoms that are affecting and impacting you, your family, friends, work, etc. ● Your current health providers

3. ● Your current medical insurance providers ● Your concerns about seeing a psychiatrist ● Deciding if seeing a female or male doctor is important to you ● Deciding if the doctor's religion is an issue for you Here's the list for the doctor's staff: ● Length and cost of initial visit (they range from complimentary to around $500) ● Which of your insurances are accepted, Including Medicaid and Medicare? ● How long are regular visits and how much do they cost? ● Do you have an appointment cancellation policy? ● What are the average waiting times during office visits? ● How are patients' anonymity and privacy ensured? ● Which mental illness types (specialties) are treated? It is important to obtain firm answers to all of these questions prior to your first visit because you'll need all of the time you can get to receive answers when querying the doctor. Regarding your initial visit, if it is free, it will probably be short, and you won't be able to sense if there is a good "fit" or good "chemistry" between you and the doctor. Preferably, this opportunity is when the real vetting should occur. I spent $450 for a 90-minute consultation on my first visit and discovered there was a perfect chemistry between my doctor and I, so it was money well-invested. He first told me all about himself, so there were very few questions I needed to ask him. For the remaining 45 minutes I told him all about myself and my issues. I received an initial diagnosis, two prescriptions, and a business card with his home telephone number written on the back should I ever "need" it. And I've used it a couple of times during weekend emergencies. What's the bottom line? You must trust in, be compatible with, and be comfortable in sharing your deepest feelings with your doctor. What questions must you ask your doctor "candidate" during your first visit? ● Are you licensed by the state? ● What is your level of education? ● In what disciplines are you board-certified? ● How long have you been in practice? ● What are your areas of expertise? ● Do you provide psychotherapy in addition to medications checks? ● Can you supply references from any of your colleagues? ● Do you have an emergency "on call" system? ● Are you a member of staff at or affiliated with any hospital(s)? ● What kinds of treatment do you provide? ● How often will we need to visit? ● How long will each visit last? ● How long will my course of treatment last? ● How much experience do you have with my kind of disorder?

4. ● How will we determine my progress? ● Are there any local psychotherapists with whom you will work? ● Will you work with my primary care physician? ● Will you need to visit with my family? ● Will you assist me in applying for disability insurance if my diagnosis prevents me from either holding a job or earning a living? Often a patient will require a psychotherapist for "talk therapy" as well as psychiatric care "drug therapy." It is crucial to have them working together. They usually don't. Ideally, your doctor will provide both a "meds check" and accompanying psychotherapy. Most psychiatrists offer only a 15-minute meds check for a handsome fee. After your initial conference with your doctor, frequent visits may be needed until your medications are sorted out and you are either in recovery or have arrived at what is, for you, a "stable mood." A "stable" or "level" condition varies from individual to individual. After all, what is "normal" amongst any population? Subsequent visits may then taper off to either quarterly or semi-annual wellness visits, for example. Although the process of finding the right doctor to help resolve your issues is reasonably simple, it may not be easy. But I can only speak from my own experience. I have been taking five psychotropic medications and have remained stable for two years now despite having Bipolar I Affective Mood Disorder. I can assure you finding the right psychiatrist to treat your mental issues will pay off for you in nearly every way.